Albany

Albany is the capital of the US state of New York and the seat of Albany County. The city was founded by the Netherlands in 1614 as Fort Nassau, and it was a center for the fur trade between the Dutch settlers and the Mohawk and Mahican peoples. In 1664, England conquered the Dutch settlements, renaming the city to Albany and chartering it in 1686. In 1797, Albany became the official capital of New York state, making it the oldest continuously chartered city in the USA. Albany was a very modern city, having public water mains, sewer lines, natural gas lines, and electricity before many other American cities, attracting industry. The Democratic Party ran a political machine in the city that used immigrant votes to keep itself in power, connecting it to the politics of New York City. During the 1940s and 1950s, office towers were built in the city, and the high-technology industry led to Albany experiencing growth. The city recovered from the urban decline of the 1970s and 1980s, and it was home to 98,469 people in 2015.